Wednesday, August 8, 2012

This post was written and sent to me by Charles Dunbar of Study of Anime, who is awesome. I, being significantly less awesome, then proceeded to sit on it for several months. Sorry!

That
Guy isn’t a single entity or person, but rather an entire genus of
congoer that is seemingly everywhere, and nowhere, at the same time.
Owing to a very powerful camouflage that shields them most of the time,
it isn’t until That Guy is upon you that you actually see/experience
their attack. But fret not- most of These Guys can be easily dealt
with.

Today’s “That Guy” is kith and kin to Conversation Guy, but his method is a tad different.

Identifying
Features: None, which is how this one gets the drop on you. While there
have been attempts to single out this particular type of congoer, most
of them are either Conversation Guys or socially awkward Basement
Dwellers. Actually Guy can mirror the above congoers, but likely will be
unidentifiable until he springs into motion.

Habitat:
Like Conversation Guy, Actually Guy makes his home in panel rooms, but
will not hesitate to insert himself into random conversations in
hallways or the Dealer’s Room, or anywhere really, that congoers
congregate.

Notable
Behaviours: Again, like Conversation Guy, he will attempt to speak with
you during panels. But that is where the resemblance ends. Actually Guy
will often attempt to display his “superior” knowledge of the topic at
hand by talking over the panelist, interrupting everything they say with
an “actually...” followed by his own explanation of the topic at hand.
Attempts to shut him down are either met with awkward silences, or with
him repeating his “information” and occasionally expressing his
disappointment that “he knows more about the topic than the panelist,”
but never actually attempting to either host his own panel or contribute
to constructive dialogue. Post-panel, they are often overheard to
repeat their dissatisfaction loudly to anyone in the room or outside it
before vanishing into the crowd without providing tips or helpful
pointers. Many a novice panelist has decided to quit paneling because of
Actually Guy, at which point he will move on to a different panel and
repeat his tactics.

Effective
Countertactics: Few that actually work. Most of the time Actually Guy
is also a Troll, and will relish any attempt to shut him down. Unless
the complete room rises up against him (at which point he will often
make snide remarks about the “ignorance” of the audience) or a staff
member intercedes (again, making snide remarks about said staffer) there
is no effective way to shut him down.

That
said, any panelist well versed in debate will have a solid chance to
strike back. It should also be noted that Actually Guy also possesses
strong arrogance and a powerful ego, which fuels his motivations (which
often lie in the realms of self-gratification through trolling
inexperienced panelists and attendees). This will also cause him to make
mistakes during the course of dialogue, which any skilled panelist can
take advantage of. Puncturing holes in his arguments, or disproving them
outright, can potentially turn off all future “contributions” to the
panel.

Cautions:
There are Actually Guys who actually DO mean well. These will often be
less abrasive, and genuinely willing to assist the panelist after the
panel with plugging up holes in the material. Normally they can be
identified by responding to polite requests to save comments for the
end, or even through observing methods of polite interjection (like
raising a hand and waiting to be called on), followed closely by
comments phrased as questions. These types of Actually Guys should be
treated respectfully, because they might actually know more about the
topic at hand, and are in the panel for perspective’s sake.

It
should also be noted that some Actually Guys have the potential to
either turn hostile or become Panel Jackers. These must be dealt with
swiftly, or the repercussions will be dire for all those involved. This
subtype of Actually Guy is also far more likely to engage in
conversation crashing than other types.